Monday, April 7, 2014

Any moment now, cars with giant fuzzy pink mustaches
on the front grill may pull up to Tampa International Airport, offering
rides to travelers who use the upstart Lyft car service
for a — lift. Standing at the curb will likely be government
transportation officers, ready to write up citations against those
drivers, who the county basically considers “pirate” taxis.

Besides the dramatic pink mustaches that are the icon
of Lyft, the showdown pits two powerful forces against each other —
entrepreneurs versus the government and established taxi/limo
corporations. San Francisco-based Lyft
calls itself a ride-sharing system, and the service launched in the
Tampa area on Friday at 7 p.m. Some established taxi and limo companies
call it a threat to their existence.

People who have cars and can pass a background check can sign up to be
Lyft drivers. People who need rides download the Lyft smart phone app,
signal they need a ride, and then see potential driver profiles — photos
and car models included. If there’s a mutually acceptable match, the
driver picks up the passenger and Lyft handles all the financial
transactions so riders are charged and drivers are paid.

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